Hotel Beach di Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Grand Mercure Okinawa Zanpa Beach truly impressed us with its spacious, comfortable rooms and stunning ocean views. The well-equipped swimming pool and other facilities make it an ideal choice for family trips. The friendly and attentive staff further enhanced our stay, making it a thoroughly satisfying experience.

Although it's an older resort, it's very clean and the service is excellent. As I'm pregnant, I'd requested a non-smoking room in the special requests section. They not only offered valet parking every time but also provided a pregnancy body pillow. It was also great to be able to check room amenities and activity statuses via a QR code in the room. Breakfast was superb!

I would say it's quite an old hotel but rooms were big. We had a corner room with it's own kitchenette, a sofa area with tv and 2 single beds. We initially wanted to combine the bed as we have a toddler with us but it wasn't a viable option as the bed frames were built attached to the wall. Room is rather dirty even though we requested for room cleaning, I could feel the floor abit dusty and sticky. The bathroom curtains were also cold and had mould at the bottom (the part that's most often in touch with water).

The hotel is located in the city center, right next to a sports stadium. The elevated highway nearby can be a bit noisy due to heavy traffic. The hotel has its own parking, but the fee is a bit expensive at 1500 JPY per day. Overall, it offers medium value for money.

The structure of the hotel is old, but the rooms have been updated and were very comfortable and new. I absolutely loved the retro charm of the place and the common areas such as the atrium pool and inside courtyard area were beautiful spaces. What the marketing doesn’t show is the vast open spaces at this hotel, the stunning landscaped gardens and the art-spaces such as artist in residence and exhibition space. I was blown away by this and enjoy a fantastic painting workshop with the artist who focuses on the local flora and fauna of Okinawa. The best point about this hotel is the staff. They are all incredibly lovely. Lisa and another lady name starting with H on front desk especially were so amazing, very helpful! One night there was an error with our dinner and the chef personally came to apologise. He replaced our meal with a local menu which was incredible and after eating he said the bill was on him as a gesture of apology. I was truly touched by this gesture of kindness. Areas for improvement: the kitchen being closed outside of designated times. If you want food at 10am for example, no chance. Also nowhere to buy drinks near the pool and beach. Food options are not great and the buffet is really mediocre. Also, I would expect their approach to sustainability to be better on an island like this. There is an overuse of plastic, especially single use such as straws and each tiny piece of cake at the buffet being individually wrapped. Really no need for that. I do worry where all this plastic is going. Beach is smaller than it looks. Can’t swim, very shallow full of seaweed and dead coral. Very quiet. Very strict lifeguard: no throwing a ball, no jumping, splashing, laughing it seems. We were using an empty bottle to collect water and build a sandcastle -he removed it. No standing on inflatables. No swimming outside of the fenced off area. From what I’ve seen this is an island-wide thing though, not limited to here. Local area: really not much to see and do outside of the hotel.

Contrary to my expectations from the photos, the hotel turned out to be a disappointment. First of all, the information on Trip.com does not match reality. The site stated check-in from 2:00 and check-out until 11:00. In fact, check-in is from 3:00 and check-out is by 10:00. The staff gave no explanation for this discrepancy. Secondly, the site confirmed a room in the new building. However, I was placed in the old building, which, judging by the exterior, looks like it was built in the 19th century. The room matched the condition of the building. All the furniture was very old and worn out, some even with mold. The view and access from the window was onto a shared balcony, which meant that to maintain privacy I had to keep the curtains closed at all times. The noise isolation was terrible — neighbors were loud from 7 AM to 11 PM, making it impossible to sleep. Speaking of the beds, the mattress was extremely hard and the pillows were stiff and uncomfortable. As for breakfast: not only was it limited to 7–9 AM, but the website had advertised a buffet with both European and Japanese options. Upon arrival, it turned out that there were no European options at all, only a fixed Japanese set meal. The only good thing was that at least coffee was available. The hotel has no beach, despite being close to the sea. There is only access to a rocky embankment, where swimming is unsafe. I used the coin laundry service, paying 300 yen just for my clothes to be rinsed in water. There was no detergent provided, nor was it sold at the hotel — I had to go out and buy it separately. The dryer only partially dried the clothes, so I had to finish drying them in the room. If you plan to come by car, keep in mind that there is no lighting in the surrounding area, so driving in such darkness doesn’t feel very safe. Overall, if you are looking for a proper rest and relaxation, I cannot recommend this hotel at all.

This is a well-established hotel with a private beach, offering great value for money. Here are some detailed tips: 1. **Transportation**: You can take the Limousine Bus (CD line) directly from Naha Airport to the hotel entrance. The last bus departs at 6 PM. Look for the 'Airport - Domestic Terminal' direction, and purchase your ticket at Gate 2. Cash payment is required. The hotel front desk can book a return bus to the airport/Naha Bus Terminal, but only morning departures are available. The bus stop is located just a short walk to the left after exiting the hotel. The journey typically takes 1.5 hours. 2. **Dining**: I recommend booking a stay that includes breakfast; the buffet breakfast is excellent, and you can enjoy it with ocean views. For dinner, you can purchase the buffet on-site. Remember to use the 10% discount coupon provided by the hotel. Dining options nearby are limited; about 100 meters from the hotel, there's only one shabu-shabu restaurant, which also offers sukiyaki. 3. **Shopping**: The hotel has a souvenir shop and a convenience store, but prices are a bit high. About 100 meters from the hotel, across the road, there's a Family Mart convenience store with reasonable prices. 4. **Facilities**: All water sports activities on the beach incur extra charges, but the pricing is transparent. The outdoor and indoor pools are free, and the indoor pool is heated. There's a fee for the hot springs, which varies depending on the time of day, with mornings being cheaper and evenings most expensive. I suggest going in the afternoon; it opens after 4 PM, there are fewer people, and you can enjoy the beach view. It's located near the indoor pool on the first floor and can be a bit hard to find, so ask a staff member for directions. It costs 600 JPY per person in the afternoon. If you opt out of room cleaning, the hotel provides a 1000 JPY voucher that can be used at the hotel's hot springs, restaurants, or convenience store. 5. **Rooms**: The rooms are generally clean. Remember to request a high floor from the staff, especially if you've booked an ocean view room. Late check-ins might only get lower-floor rooms, but it's worth trying to get a higher floor; while all ocean view rooms offer a sea view, the perspective differs significantly. 6. **Surroundings**: You can take a taxi to Onna Station, which is like a service area with some snack stalls and a supermarket. The taxi ride takes about 15 minutes and costs approximately 100 RMB for a round trip.

✨ Highlights: • The room experience exceeded our expectations! The Coral Wing Selection Room was incredibly spacious, featuring an entryway and a separate bathroom. The two bunk beds were also very wide. Even though it's the Coral Wing, we still had a stunning ocean view with a fantastic panorama. The room facilities were new, and the toiletries were Byredo, which smelled wonderful. • The breakfast was tasty, and the hotel's location was a huge plus: very close to the airport, easy to get a taxi, and within walking distance to Don Quijote and nearby restaurants, making shopping and dining very convenient. • The hygiene and hardware facilities were well-maintained, and public facilities like the pool were excellent. It's a shame we only stayed one night and didn't get to experience them. ⚠️ Areas for Improvement: • The front desk service wasn't very welcoming; there was no guidance at all during check-in. The hotel itself is like a big maze, and it took us over half an hour to find our room, which detracted from the overall experience. • Upon check-out, we were charged an additional resort fee of about 50 RMB per person. While not a large amount, it would be better if it were included directly in the room rate. Paying in two separate installments felt a bit odd. • Some public facilities in the Coral Wing were slightly dated, a bit of a contrast to the brand-new feel of the guest rooms. Overall, the room itself, the location, and the environment were all excellent and up to InterContinental standards. If they could improve service details and check-in guidance, the experience would be much better. It's a good choice for a short, transitional one-night stay.

This is our second time at Hotel Monterey, and I genuinely believe it's perfect for a family vacation in Okinawa. The best part is that you can spend the entire day at the hotel, enjoying the private outdoor beach and the outdoor water park. My two-year-old son absolutely loved the bouncy water trampoline. In the summer evenings, there are even fireworks shows! Seriously, there's something to do all day long, it's so much fun.

The room view is simply incredible, hands down the best on Miyakojima. The Coral Wing rooms are newer, but not as close to the ocean as the Ocean Wing. Personally, I think the Ocean Wing offers better value for money. The buffet breakfast and dinner are served in the same place; breakfast is definitely more lavish than dinner. A huge shout-out to the staff! My husband left some clothes behind, and while Trip.com was no help at all, I contacted the hotel directly, and they went above and beyond to mail them to us in Naha! A big thank you to the staff for their help!! They were truly dedicated and sincere in assisting us, not just going through the motions. Thank you!